The Mulberry School
reflektion över en designprocess
The quality of a design can improve essentially through a
participatory designprocess. Initially, The Mulberry School
project was supposed to be finished in two months but the
involvement of artist Scott G Burnham extended the work
and brought a new dimension into the project. In the beginning,
Scott and I both worked on the project unaware of each other. I was
appointed by the architect to design the external areas of the school
and based on a site survey and analysis of the factors infl uencing
the site I created a design proposal with the concept form and
function.
At the same time Scott performed a series of workshops initiated
by the school. The purpose and goal was to include the students in
the redevelopment of the school and to produce a design based on
the thoughts and wishes of the students. As Scott and I, by chance
became aware of each others existence, an integrated designprocess
began.
Since Scott, as an artist specialises in forming relationships
between people and their shared environments the workshops
became a qualitative sociological study in youth's relationship to the
environment. Because of the artistic character of the study and the
qualitative, not quantitative approach, I found it interesting to study
literature that has been written on the subject. The literature studies
confi rmed the outcome of the workshops and they both express the
problem and task of the youth that lies in the process of growing up
and preparing for life as an adult. The studies show that teenagers
are very aware of the environment that surrounds them and that it
affects them in their process of personal development.
The designprocess led to a design that was based on the
thoughts and ideas of the students. The result was four courtyards
with different mood and character. The project made me realise what
an enourmous contribution an artist can make to the designprocess
of landscape architects. People?s relationship to the environment
should be a core issue for anyone who creates environments for the
use of other people and therefore I would like to see more people
like Scott involved in shaping the environment. The physical result of
the design process was a design, but I think what was most important
for me was that through this dissertation I started questioning the
design and the designprocess. Unanswered questions like: Did we
control the answers of the students in the workshops and put words
in their mouths? Did we really express the minds of the students or
build a monument over ourselves? How will the students perceive
the courtyards? Will the new design make a difference in the life
of the students and help the students to develop their identities?
Questioning is, in my opinion, the best way of growing, intellectually
and personally.